As Human as You are
by Lady of the Labyrinth
Summary: There's a new girl at Domino High. She gets special treatment and she seems to have more on her mind than just schoolwork. And she doesn't seem to like Yugi that much...
1. Chapter 1

This fic takes place between Yu-Gi-Oh manga volume #7 (the second part of the deadly role-play game) and continues through the Yu-Gi-Oh Duellist manga series. Parts of the origonal story will be re-written, but Yugi and his friends' parts will remain intact, as will the part played by Seto Kaiba, up until after the Duellist Kingdom tournament, at which time, I will freelance the characters. So, in effect, only Mokuba's and Pegasus' roles will change but this will not affect the tournament. Also, this fic revolves around the manga, not the anime series, so Seto Kaiba is in a coma for part of it. As I have only volumes 1 + 2 of the Duellist series, my facts may be a little skewed as I rely more on the anime. Thanks for your time and enjoy!

**As Human as You are**

Chapter 1

'Goodnight, Grandpa,' said Yugi Mutou as he prepared for bed. 'Goodnight, Mom.'

'Sweet dreams, Yugi,' said Mrs Mutou.

'Beware of those bedbugs,' said Sugoruku Mutou and Mrs Mutou clipped him over the ear.

Yugi laughed good-naturedly. 'I'll be sure to.' He closed his bedroom door and switched off the main light. Now only the desk light shinning dimly from the midst of Yugi's as-yet undone homework lighted the room. Yugi stretched and sighed with satisfaction as he felt his vertebrae crack.

_Goodnight, Yugi._

_The same to you, Yami_, replied Yugi and he turned off his lamp.

---------------

As the huge clock in Domino Town Square struck eight, the bell in Domino high School tolled to signal the commencement of classes.

The usual hustle and noises of the hallways as students rushed to their classes faded as Ryo Bakura entered his homeroom. 'Hey, mates!' he greeted Yugi, Katsuya Jonouchi, Hiroto Honda and Anzu Mazaki.

'Hey, Bakura,' said Yugi. 'How was your weekend?'

Bakura swept a strand of white hair from his eyes and sat at his desk. 'It was okay.'

'It's a pity you couldn't come to the arcade with us,' said Anzu, glancing sideways at Yugi.

'Yeah, sorry about that,' said Bakura. 'I had to go over to my mother's house to spend time with my father. He just came home from Egypt, so I was kind of forced to.'

'Did he bring you home any more cursed artefacts?' asked Jonouchi.

Anzu shuddered. 'Don't remind me of that.'

'Yeah,' agreed Honda. 'I got two holes in my head that time!'

Bakura chuckled. 'No more evil spirits. Not lately, anyway.'

'Settle down, class,' directed the tenth grade homeroom teacher, Suzake. He was a thin, weedy little man who was not cut out for teaching.

The class continued to talk, ignoring their instructor completely. Only Yugi's group of friends paid him any heed. They went to their individual desks and sat down.

'Class,' Suzake coughed. 'We have a new transfer.'

The class continued to disregard him until someone walked shyly into the classroom. She went up to the front desk, smiling vaguely and faced her classmates. She had long black hair that floated around her when she moved and a long fringe that partially obstructed her dark emerald eyes.

As soon as Mr Suzake began writing her name upon the blackboard, the whole class was noiseless.

'Who's the cute chick?' asked Honda.

Anzu glared at him. 'You can't label people like that!'

Jonouchi shrugged. 'Everyone else is doin' it.'

He was correct: the other boys in the class were ogling the new girl shamelessly and the girls were whispering behind their hands.

'This is Bakeshii Emara,' said Mr Suzake.

Bakeshii nodded.

'Bakeshii, there is a desk free beside Mazaki,' said Suzake.

Bakeshii nodded again and weaved through the other students to reach the free desk.

'Hello,' said Anzu after Bakeshii sat down. 'I'm Anzu.'

Bakeshii folded her hands demurely. 'I'm Emara.'

Suzake called the roll and the bell rang for first class. Emara and Anzu had the same lesson: Health and Physical education, so Anzu showed her new friend the way.

Anzu went into the change rooms, and then emerged when she noticed Emara was not following her. 'Did you bring a change of clothes?'

Emara shook her head and took a thick novel out of her bag and sat on the first level of the grandstand in the gym.

Anzu frowned in concern and went into the locker room to change.

Karita, the HPE teacher thundered up to Emara, his heavy thighs rippled and the floor shuddered. 'Where is your sports uniform?' he crowed.

Emara didn't look up at the quivering mass of gym teacher and she picked a slip of paper out of her jacket pocket between her index and middle fingers and handed it to Karita.

Karita scowled and read the note. Then his expression morphed into one of extreme pity. 'Of course, Bakeshii. You are excused from class.'

'That's very understanding of you, sir,' said Emara and she flipped a page of her book.

The rest of the girls gym class were flabbergasted. Karita was never understanding.

'I wonder if I can borrow that note,' mused a girl near Anzu.

Anzu bit her bottom lip. _I think there's more to this new girl than meets the eye…_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

Anzu and Emara met back up with Yugi, Honda, Jonouchi and Bakura for their second period History lesson. Emara did not sit with them, as she did not want to force her person onto them. She sat at the front of class and soon was ringed by a crowd of oversexed adolescent males.

Yugi and his friends took their usual back-row seats and watched in awed fascination while the boys around Emara all jostled for her attention. They all at one point offered to show her the school.

Emara wore a depthless smile. 'You all are very kind.'

Class started soon thereafter. The current syllabus covered World War Two.

'What was the Japanese Army's main weakness?' asked the teacher. Nobody raised a hand. 'Anyone?'

Emara sighed and lifted a pale hand.

'Yes, Bakeshii?'

'Its main weakness was that it needed to keep moving to gather more resources as Japan is almost completely depleted of iron and oil. Thus to the Japanese Army, Australia was a prize: rich in iron, gold, silver uranium- an untapped mine worth a sum of money over nine digits long in any currency.'

The class was shocked into silence. Even the teacher.

'That is the correct answer,' said Emara. She was not asking a question, but making a statement.

'Y-yes Bakeshii. A college-grade answer, in fact,' stammered the teacher. He continued the lesson.

Emara answered all of his questions flawlessly. She second-guessed most of his facts with her more accurate ones. The teacher was quite relieved when the bell rang to end the period and his bewildered students went to lunch.

The students either went to the cafeteria or to their homeroom. Yugi and his group went to their homeroom, appointing Anzu to stand in line at the cafeteria to buy their lunches.

Emara drifted in soon after, surrounded by a buzzing sward of boys. They sat around her desk, boasting and chatting her up.

Honda and Jonouchi felt their eyes drift over to her.

'We should help her,' said Honda. 'She might be hurt by one of those blockheads.

'Good idea,' agreed Jonouchi.

'Are you sure that's your only motive?' asked Bakura.

'No,' said Jonouchi absently and he and Honda shoved their way through to Emara. 'I don't think we've been introduced.'

'Yeah,' said Takeshi, the most popular boy in grade ten. 'And I don't think you will be.'

Jonouchi grabbed him by the lapels. 'I'm sick of you always screwing with me and my friends-'

Emara lifted her hands to her mouth and her green eyes darkened fearfully. Honda put his hand on Jonouchi's shoulder. Jonouchi relinquished his hold on Takeshi and straightened his own school jacket. Takeshi scowled and walked away.

'I'm Honda,' said Honda. 'And this is Jonouchi.'

'I didn't mean to scare you,' said Jonouchi sheepishly.

Emara's mouth tweaked up at the corners. 'It's okay.' She jumped as her cell phone rang. 'Hello?' she said softly. She listened to the person at the other end of the connection, her face paling. 'Not again. You can't skip school, he wouldn't want-' she stopped and whoever she was talking to snapped at her so loudly that Jonouchi and Honda could hear his voice. 'Please don't speak to me like that, Bunny.' Her eyes filled with tears. 'I'm just trying to help,' she whispered and paused again. 'Okay, I'll be there soon.' She snapped her cell closed and stared down at her desk, fighting away her tears. 'Does anyone know that way to the office?'

'I do!' said Jonouchi, a bare millisecond ahead of every other boy around him. 'Me and Honda'll take you!'

Emara stood up and followed Jonouchi and Honda out of the classroom. She let her guides return to class without her after thanking them for showing her to the administration office. She did not go to any of her other classes.

Honda explained what had happened to Anzu after she brought her friends their lunches. She and everyone else were concerned about the phone conversation that Jonouchi and Honda had overheard.

'She must be under a lot of stress,' said Anzu empathically. 'We should visit her take her mind off it!'

'Nice idea, Anzu,' said Bakura. 'Where does she live?'

'Uh…' said Anzu. 'I never asked her.'

'I know how to find out!' said Jonouchi excitedly. 'We can just follow her home.'

'It's worth a try,' said Yugi and Anzu shook her head in despair.

-----------------------------------

Yugi went home after school and pulled his homework out onto the kitchen table.

'How was your day?' asked Mrs Mutou

'Fine, Mom,' said Yugi. 'There's a new girl at school called Bakeshii and we're going over to her house tomorrow.'

'Oh, how nice,' said Mrs Mutou. 'Bakeshii, I think I've heard that name before.' She shrugged and brought Yugi a glass of milk and some cookies.

_What do you think of her, Yami?_ asked Yugi of his second spirit.

_I think she is more complex than she lets on,_ replied Yami. _I feel intense waves of grief radiating from her._

_Did someone die?_ asked Yugi

_I know not the cause of her sadness, but perhaps a visit will do her well._

_I hope so,_ thought Yugi


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lol, the first flame. Well, I hope you are glad to know that it warmed my early morning pepsi :p. seriously, why take the time to post a review that was clearly meant to hurt someone? (since it only made me laugh) Jeesh, I'd like everyone to know that flaming people is meant only to hurt someone and therefore is just an underhanded deceitful thing to do (since you're not saying to someone's face.)

Now that we're out of the 'The author needs a few minutes alone with the readers' portion of the program, let's get on with the story!

Emara was at homeroom early the next day. She sat by herself, reading her novel.

Honda arrived and sat next to her. He asked her which novel she was reading.

'This one isn't in mass production yet,' she said. 'It's called _Frozen Petals Fall and Burn_.'

'Sounds interesting,' said Honda nicely.

Emara closed the novel. 'It is. It's about a boy who can't make up his mind and forms a wall around himself to ward off any pain.'

'Let me guess, and there's a girl who loves him and she breaks down his wall and they get together?' said Honda.

'Yes,' said Emara. 'But then the boy falls into an untreatable coma. Did I mention that this book is a true story?'

Honda shook his head.

'Well, it is. And I happen to know the author.'

'Oh,' said Honda. 'Do you know the ch-'

'Hey, Honda,' said Jonouchi, cuffing Honda over the head. 'Don't bore Bakeshii.'

'I'm not!'

'Did Honda tell you he rides a motorcycle?' asked Jonouchi.

'No, he didn't,' said Emara.

Honda shrugged modestly. 'I don't like to brag.'

'Then I will,' said Jonouchi. 'I was on a game show once. I won the jackpot.'

'How much did you win?' asked Emara.

'Uh,' Jonouchi blushed. 'The company went bust. I never got anything.'

'Too bad, Jonouchi,' said Emara.

Jonouchi entertained his friends with a boastful story about how he beat up a group of thugs with killer yo-yos until Anzu arrived. She declared to all that Bakura would not be attending school that day because he had to spend more time with is father.

Yugi arrived late to homeroom because his mother forgot to wake him.

Anzu had the same classes as Emara all day and so she talked with her and they became fast friends. The boys still followed Emara like a cloud of stinging gnats, but Emara didn't seem to mind. Again, she awed her history class with her fact recall. She did the same in science class where biology was the topic for the semester.

At ten to three, the bell to end school tolled. Emara walked with Yugi's group down to the front gate.

'Oh!' exclaimed Anzu. 'Emara hasn't met Yugi yet!'

Emara turned to Yugi and Jonouchi introduced them. 'Emara, this here's Yugi.'

'Yugi?' asked Emara. Her voice was lower than usual and her eyes were narrowed. 'Yugi Mutou?

Yugi nodded. 'Yup, that's me.'

Emara did nothing for a moment and then she drew back her arm and struck Yugi in the face with her right hand. Yugi reeled back from the punch and fell to the turf.

'Yugi!' shrieked Anzu and she flew down to him and fell to his side, lifting his head onto her lap.

Honda and Jonouchi tensed up.

'What was that for?' cried Jonouchi.

Emara turned her back to them. 'My reasons are just and my own. My apologies, Yugi, I forgive you now for what you have done. You had no choice. It was the right thing to do. But the consequences of your actions are more terrible than you could even imagine.'

Yugi croaked on the ground and Anzu held him down. He tried to speak again but his head spun so quickly that he simply slid into Anzu's arms.

A limousine pulled up to the school gates. Emara walked measuredly towards it and a huge man in a black suit leapt out of the driver's seat and opened the rear side door for her. The shadow of an existing passenger could be seen until Emara slid into the limousine. The suit closed the door and jumped back into the driver's seat. The car took off.

'Hey, Yuug, are you all right, bud?' asked Jonouchi. He helped Yugi to his feet and then Anzu.

'I think so,' Yugi grimaced and felt his swelling cheek gingerly. 'I've never been punched by a girl before.'

'You must be a magnet for physical attacks,' said Anzu worriedly. 'There was the arcade guy, the guy who stole monster fighters and then sold them on the black market… and Kaiba, of course.'

'That's different,' spat Jonouchi. 'Kaiba isn't man enough to fight hand to hand: he hit Yugi over the head with his stinkin' briefcase!'

'This really isn't helping, guys,' said Yugi plaintively. 'You'll back me up, won't you, Honda?'

Yugi, Anzu and Jonouchi looked around.

'Honda?'

But Honda was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Oh, my. And the reviewing war continues… But please give me a moment to laugh hysterically- 1 moment- Ok, now I shall tell you why I am laughing. Teh Ownage is not my brother- she's my sister and my LITTLE sister at that! Dude, I think you should give up now because all those reviews did was make me laugh. Coughtrollcough. But thankyou to my other reviewers- I'm touched that SOMEONE appreciates greatness (blowsraspberry) JK, guys.

The clock in Domino Square chimed thrice and Anzu met back with Jonouchi and Yugi.

'His motorcycle is gone, guys,' said Anzu.

'And nobody has seen him,' said Yugi uneasily. 'It isn't like Honda to just up and leave without saying.'

'Ah, the meathead probably went home to pee,' said Jonouchi. 'Let's just walk home.'

'What will you say to your mom and grandpa, Yugi?' asked Anzu. 'You'll get a big bruise on your face.'

'I'll just say I slipped,' suggested Yugi.

'You don't want to tell them you got beat up by a girl, huh, Yuug?' asked Jonouchi.

'I don't want to start trouble,' said Yugi. 'Emara must have had a good reason for hitting me. She seems too refined a person to strike without one.'

Jonouchi looked at him incredulously. 'You still like her even though she whooped you?'

Yugi shrugged. 'There's a lot to like. Jonouchi, you should know better than to judge someone on their actions.'

Jonouchi blushed. 'I know.'

Anzu's jaw stuck out and she glared. 'Let's just go back to Yugi's,' she snarled, breathing heavily out her nose.

'Sure,' said Yugi, sidestepping Anzu nervously.

0o0o0

The telephone rang in the Mutou house just as Anzu and Jonouchi were about to leave.

'Hello?' asked Mrs Mutou after she answered it. 'Yugi,' she called. 'It's Honda!'

Yugi, Anzu and Jonouchi raced back indoors. Yugi thanked his mother and took the phone from her.

'Honda, where did you go?'

'I followed Emara's limo to try and make sense of everything,' said Honda.

'Okay, then, where'd she go?' asked Yugi.

'To this big fancy house. She and this kid got out of the limo and she went up to this room with a tree outside it and stayed there for ages.'

'Hmm,' mused Yugi. 'I think we oughta check it out tomorrow.'

'Why?' asked Honda.

'Because I want to know,' Yugi paused and smiled at his mother and continued to Honda in a whisper, 'I want to know why she punched me.'

'Right. We'll talk battle plans tomorrow, then.' Honda cut the connection and Yugi replaced the receiver. Yugi turned to Anzu and Jonouchi. 'Tomorrow we'll work this whole thing out.'

0o0o0o0

As she had on Tuesday, Emara arrived first at school. Honda stayed out in the hall until Jonouchi joined him.

'Jonouchi, Emara has a big bandage on her hand,' said Honda.

Jonouchi glanced through the doorway into homeroom. Emara had a large tourniquet wrapped around the knuckles of her right hand. 'Is that from hitting Yugi?'

Honda shrugged. 'Did she hit him that hard?'

'You can see the imprint of her knuckles,' said Jonouchi. 'She was pretty pissed off.'

Anzu crept noiselessly over to them. 'What are we whispering about?'

Jonouchi and Honda jumped. 'Anzu!' cried Jonouchi. 'When did you get here?'

'Just now,' said Anzu carelessly. 'I got here with Bakura.' She tugged Bakura along by the wrist.'

Bakura straightened his collar. 'Anzu told me about our little problem on the way here,' said Bakura.

'Stop blocking the doorway, Miss Priss!' shouted Takeshi and he and his boys shoved Bakura out of the way and stampeded into homeroom.

Bakura regained his balance and fixed up his fringe. 'Pushy lot, aren't they?'

'Maybe we should go in, too,' suggested Honda.

'Sure,' said Jonouchi.

Anzu lead the guys into homeroom. Nobody looked up at them, even in curiosity.

'How about a game of Duel Monsters, Anzu?' asked Jonouchi.

'Only if you're prepared to lose!'

'Never!'

The rest of the class trickled in slowly. Yugi arrived just as Jonouchi played his trump card: Alligator Sword. Anzu began laughing at Yugi and he slid into his desk, glancing around self-consciously.

'What is that on your face?' gasped Anzu. 'Your mom's entire stash of foundation?

Yugi looked quickly over at the swarm of boys cocooning Emara. 'What?'

Jonouchi, Honda and Bakura squinted at Yugi's face, trying to see Anzu's point.

'Did you raid your mom's make-up cabinet?' chuckled Anzu. 'You've only done half of your face!'

'Right!' sad Jonouchi, catching Anzu's thought train. 'You covered your bruise with make-up!'

'Yugi, you can't go around like that,' said Anzu. 'I'll fix up your face.' She dragged Yugi from the classroom.

'He did look a little strange,' said Bakura.

'I couldn't really tell,' said Jonouchi. 'Hey, wait! Anzu never finished our duel! Anzu!'

'Pipe down, Jonouchi!' shouted Ryou, another of Emara's fan boys.

'Make me!' shouted Jonouchi, kicking back his chair as he stood up to his full height, fists clenched.

Honda held Jonouchi back. 'We don't need another fistfight!'

Ryou tossed his head uncaringly. 'I don't make trash, I put it on the curb, where it belongs.'

Jonouchi bellowed like a wounded bull and strained against Honda, trying to get free to break Ryou's face. The rest of the class was deathly quiet.

'Ryou,' said someone finally. 'Shut up.'

'Huh?' said Jonouchi and Ryou in unison.

Emara flipped a wayward strand of her hair over her shoulder. 'You are no match for Jonouchi. He's a pro at street fighting. You'd end up a stain on the carpet.'

Ryu blushed and crept away to his desk, humiliated.

Jonouchi's jaw dropped. He was so surprised that he stopped struggling against Honda. 'How'd she know that?'

'Who doesn't know that?' asked Bakura.

Anzu returned with Yugi, whose skin tone was thankfully evened out. They were closely followed by Suzake.

'Now, children, to your individual seats, please.' Suzake pulled at his tight turtleneck sweater. The class obeyed grudgingly.

Thus began the school day.

0o0o0o0


End file.
